The Trump administration issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists on Friday after the newspaper reported on security concerns related to President Trump’s new Air Force One, which was donated by Qatar.
The subpoenas compel the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, representing an extraordinary escalation of the administration’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations.
In some cases, federal agents delivered the subpoenas at the journalists’ homes, adding a personal dimension to the intimidation.
The Times condemned the actions. “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, the newspaper’s top newsroom lawyer, in a statement released Friday evening. “Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
The subpoenas seek testimony “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law” and were issued by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who has been nominated by Mr. Trump to serve as director of national intelligence. Mr. Clayton leads one of the nation’s most prominent law‑enforcement offices.
The White House and Mr. Clayton’s office did not immediately respond to inquiries on Friday evening.
The Times journalists who received subpoenas include Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt, who reported on Wednesday that Mr. Trump had left Turkey aboard the older Air Force One as a security precaution urged by the Secret Service. The following day, the newspaper reported that the new Air Force One, a Qatari‑donated Boeing 747‑8, lacks some of the advanced security features of the older aircraft, including anti‑missile capabilities. Both articles relied on sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Before the Wednesday article was published, a senior FBI official contacted The Times asking that the story be held, citing national‑security concerns. According to a person familiar with the conversation, the official spoke with a reporter and a senior editor in the Times’s Washington bureau but declined to explain the security issue. A spokesman for The Times, Charlie Stadtlander, confirmed the account.
President Trump has long been a vocal critic of the news media. In his second term, he has increasingly used the powers of the federal government to attack the press.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department sought to compel testimony from journalists at The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Those subpoenas were withdrawn after both publications fought back in sealed court filings.
Both Democratic and Republican administrations have opened leak investigations, but subpoenas directed at journalists are uncommon. First Amendment advocates say such actions can chill newsgathering activities.
In January, FBI agents executed a rare search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home as part of an investigation into a government contractor’s handling of classified material. The agents seized phones, laptops and a smartwatch. Ms. Natanson had been reporting on the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
The Times is currently a party to several lawsuits involving President Trump and his administration.
Mr. Trump sued The Times last year, alleging defamation, reputational harm and an effort to undermine his 2024 candidacy.
In December, The Times sued the Defense Department after it imposed restrictions on reporters covering the military, and again after the agency reduced physical access to the Pentagon.
In May, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The Times, accusing it of employment discrimination. On Friday, The Times filed a counterclaim, asserting that the EEOC lawsuit was retaliation for its coverage of the Trump presidency and violated its First Amendment rights.
Benjamin Weiser contributed reporting.
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